A first-half header from defender Riccardo Calafiori was all Arsenal needed to secure a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Manchester United in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford.

The Italian defender capitalised on a mistake by United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, nodding home to give Mikel Arteta’s side a hard-fought victory at Old Trafford.

Despite the setback, Ruben Amorim’s revamped United showed signs of progress. The Red Devils dominated possession and fielded their new-look £200m attack of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and substitute Benjamin Sesko. But they failed to pull a goal against the league’s most resilient defence of the past two seasons.

Amorim, taking charge of his first Premier League game, was upbeat despite the result.

“We need to win games, but that was completely different to last season,” he said. “We were the better team, but I am really proud of the performance. We proved today we can win any game in the Premier League.”

Arsenal, meanwhile, were far from their best going forward, but Arteta praised the resilience that earned a crucial three points.

“Big result,” he said. “First game of the season at Old Trafford, when you feel they are building something. Today we weren’t at our best, but momentum and confidence are so important.”

The Gunners, runners-up in each of the past three seasons, will need sharper attacking displays if they are to end their 20-year wait for a league title. For United, though, the performance suggested there may be brighter days ahead under Amorim.